State-Level Substance Use and Mental Health Estimates for 2021-2022

NSDUH provides 37 tables of model-based state estimates for 35 measures of substance use and mental health. The data covers the civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 12 and older, with estimates for each state, region, and age group. Estimates include 95% confidence intervals and are derived from the 2021-2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health using small area estimation methods.

Use Cases

• Compare state-level estimates for Marijuana Use in the Past Month across different age groups to identify regional substance use patterns.
• Analyze the relationship between Perceptions of Great Risk from Smoking Marijuana Once a Month and actual Marijuana Use in the Past Year to inform public health messaging.
• Model the prevalence of Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year using state-level demographic and socioeconomic covariates.
• Assess trends in Received Mental Health Treatment in the Past Year against estimates for Any Mental Illness in the Past Year to evaluate treatment gaps.

Strengths

• Includes 35 distinct measures of substance use and mental health, providing a broad analytical scope.
• Estimates are presented with 95% confidence intervals, allowing for assessment of statistical uncertainty.
• Data is disaggregated by state, region, and age group, enabling multi-level geographic and demographic analysis.
• Based on the authoritative National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and enhanced with small area estimation methods.

Limitations

• Estimates are modeled and not direct survey counts, which may introduce methodological bias.
• Limited to the civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 12+, excluding institutionalized groups.
• The underlying survey data is from 2021-2022 and may not reflect more recent trends.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, specifically the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Collection Method

Model-based small area estimation (SAE) combining state-level NSDUH data with other sub-state data.

Time Range

2021-2022

Freshness

Data reflects the 2021-2022 survey period; metadata was last updated in September 2025.

Geography

All U.S. states and regions.